Blossom

Dou Zhao secretly clicked her tongue in amazement, feeling fortunate that she had followed Song Mo's advice and refrained from interfering in Song Han's wedding. Otherwise, as Song Han's sister-in-law, she would inevitably have been among the women urging the bride—what an embarrassment that would have been, enough to shame her all the way to Daxing!

She instructed Gan Lu, who was directing the maids and old women to pack their belongings, "The auspicious hour for the second young master is at dusk. After we return tomorrow, stay inside the Hall of Cultivating Will and don’t come out. If anyone asks, say you’re busy taking care of Yuan Ge’er."

Tomorrow was Song Han’s wedding. Using the excuse of her child being too young to help might barely pass muster, but skipping the ceremony altogether would be inexcusable. After discussing it with Song Mo, they decided to return to the mansion early the next morning.

Gan Lu smiled in agreement and directed Fufeng to pack Yuan Ge’er’s two small blankets into a camphorwood chest carved with the "Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity" motif.

Gu Yu came to visit Yuan Ge’er.

Dou Zhao asked curiously, "Does he know the heir isn’t here?"

Ruo Tong replied with a smile, "He does. He said he came specifically to see Yuan Ge’er."

It wouldn’t be right to turn him away, so Dou Zhao had Ruo Tong escort Gu Yu inside.

Gu Yu had brought a windmill and other small toys like a rattle drum for the child, each exquisitely crafted. The windmill, in particular, stood three feet tall and was carved with eighteen arhats, each holding a tiny windmill. With a single breath, all eighteen would spin, filling the room with a lively rustling sound—clearly no ordinary item.

Dou Zhao thanked him repeatedly.

Gu Yu grinned. "The craftsmanship of the Imperial Workshops—not bad, eh?"

Dou Zhao always felt Gu Yu was like a child starved for affection, overly concerned with others’ opinions of him. So she praised warmly, "Not just ‘not bad’—it’s a masterpiece of ingenuity. You’ve gone to great trouble."

"It’s nothing. I had free time anyway," Gu Yu said dismissively, though his expression betrayed pride. "I happened to run into craftsmen from the Imperial Workshops delivering a catalog to my concubine and impulsively had these made for Yuan Ge’er. They’re quite crude. I’ll have finer things made for him later."

Dou Zhao nodded cheerfully and was about to excuse herself when Gu Yu stopped her.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Sister-in-law, has something happened that I don’t know about? Today, I was at the Duke of England's Mansion. Feng Shao and the others refused to join Tianen’s bridal procession. It was only after the elder personally appointed Song Duo and a few others that they barely scraped together four people. Brother also excused himself to entertain visiting elders and stayed in the front hall the whole time... And you, sister-in-law, have been staying at Jing'an Temple Alley with Yuan Ge’er... Old Madam Lu and Ningde Princess didn’t attend either... It’s nothing like Brother’s wedding, where officials in crimson robes came and went, and the women’s quarters were packed the day before the bridal urging. The mansion was decked in lanterns and banners, bustling with noise and music... Now, even when the maids and pages smile, there’s no joy in it. Sixty banquet tables were prepared, but only twenty-some were filled—more than half left empty..."

Dou Zhao was taken aback.

It seemed rumors about Song Han possibly being illegitimate had spread. Some, mindful of their status, had chosen not to attend his wedding.

Such things often happened—everyone else knew, while the person involved remained oblivious.

Since everyone in the Capital knew of Gu Yu’s close friendship with Song Mo, no one would dare speak of Song Han’s affairs in front of him.But secrets can't stay hidden forever. Song Mo's stance on this matter was so clear-cut that it was bound to come out eventually. Rather than letting Gu Yu hear it from someone else and feel that Song Mo didn't trust him, it was better for her to tell him the truth now.

Dou Zhao pretended to hesitate. "There's something your brother is too embarrassed to tell you himself. If you hear it, you must act as though you don't know."

Song Mo, feeling embarrassed? That was something new.

Gu Yu's eyes immediately lit up, and he pleaded eagerly, "Good sister-in-law, please tell me! I swear I'll keep it to myself and never tell a soul." He even made a solemn vow.

Seeing him still so childlike, Dou Zhao couldn't help but laugh softly. She lowered her voice and told Gu Yu about Jiang Yan's situation.

Gu Yu gasped in shock, taking a long moment before he finally said, "I thought I had it rough, but there's someone even worse off than me..."

His words tugged at the heartstrings.

Dou Zhao sighed deeply.

Suddenly, Gu Yu jumped up, his face dark with anger. "So Tianci-ge let that bastard Song Han pretend to be his own brother all this time? I'm going to beat that little punk up right now—first to vent some of Tianci-ge's anger, then I'll report this to the palace and have the Emperor strip Song Han of his status—"

"Don't be rash!" Dou Zhao was startled by his violent reaction and quickly stopped him. "Your brother already has a plan for this. We mustn’t disrupt his arrangements." She added, "The midwives who attended my mother-in-law and Li Tiaoniang's deliveries both passed away over fifteen years ago. The wet nurses and servants either knew nothing or have since disappeared or died. We have no evidence, so we must proceed carefully. Besides, your brother is still the heir to the Duke of Yingguo's household. If this gets out, it’ll be a case of mutual destruction—your brother would end up losing face the most. We can only find another way to clear my mother-in-law's name."

Gu Yu's anger subsided somewhat, but he still grumbled resentfully, "But it’s not as satisfying as doing it openly. That little bastard gets to keep the reputation of being the Duke of Yingguo's legitimate heir."

"Nothing in this world is perfect," Dou Zhao consoled him. "We’ll just have to wait for another opportunity."

Gu Yu nodded, then abruptly let out a strange chuckle that sent a shiver down Dou Zhao's spine. "What is it?" she asked.

"Song Han's wedding—such an interesting thing happened," he said, raising his eyebrows with gleeful malice. "How can the noble ladies in the palace not know about it? I’m going to the palace right now to tell my aunt. If Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is there too, even better. Saves me the trouble of finding someone to spread the word to the Palace of Compassionate Tranquility." Without waiting for Dou Zhao's response, he dashed off excitedly.

Truly like a gust of wind—here one moment, gone the next.

Dou Zhao shook her head, but the memory of Gu Yu's earlier expression made her lips curl into a smile.

That night, Song Mo returned very late.

Dou Zhao had assumed he wouldn’t come and had gone to bed early with the child.

After washing up and chewing a few tea leaves to mask the smell of alcohol, Song Mo entered the inner chamber to see Dou Zhao and Yuan Ge'er.

Both their faces were flushed—Dou Zhao like a blooming kapok flower, and Yuan Ge'er's cheeks like little apples.

Song Mo's heart softened. He sat by the bed, gently stroked Dou Zhao's hair, and kissed Yuan Ge'er.

Dou Zhao stirred awake and smiled as she sat up. "You're back! There’s sobering-up soup on the stove. Would you like some?"

Song Mo nodded.

Dou Zhao instructed the night-duty maid to bring the soup.The couple sat together, one on the edge of the bed and the other leaning against the headboard, chatting.

"Gu Yu visited Yuan Ge'er today and brought him several exquisite toys," Dou Zhao recounted every detail of her conversation with Gu Yu to Song Mo.

Song Mo gave a bitter smile. "I should have told him about this matter long ago. I just couldn’t bring myself to say it. It’s good that you took this opportunity to tell him." He let out a long sigh.

Dou Zhao changed the subject. "Gu Yu mentioned that the house feels very quiet."

Song Mo nodded. "This is probably the quietest wedding and funeral the Duke of England's Mansion has seen in years. Father couldn’t even secure a respectable officiant, and those participating in the Bridal Urging were all of low rank. Even Song Duo was dragged in to make up the numbers—let alone the others."

"Some things are just like that," Dou Zhao said. "When the officiant’s rank is low, distinguished guests will think twice before deciding whether to attend the wedding."

As she spoke, a maid entered with sobering-up soup.

Yuan Ge'er woke up, his tiny hands curled into delicate gestures near his cheeks.

Song Mo quickly drank the soup and clapped his hands to amuse the child.

Dou Zhao nudged him. "Be careful not to wake him up completely, or none of us will get any sleep tonight."

"Then we’ll just play with him!" Song Mo said nonchalantly. "Isn’t that what all these people at home are for—to keep him company?" He held Yuan Ge'er upright and spoke to him. "Did you wake up because you knew Daddy was back? What did you do today? Did you listen to Mommy? Uncle Gu came to see you and even brought you a pinwheel..." He had someone fetch the pinwheel and blew on it to entertain Yuan Ge'er, showing endless patience.

Song Mo would make a good father!

Dou Zhao watched the father and son, her eyes slightly moist.

The next day, Dou Zhao yawned as she boarded the carriage.

Yuan Ge'er, however, slept soundly all the way back to the Duke of England's Mansion.

Few guests had stayed overnight, and most of those who did were Song Yichun’s former classmates from his days as a Successful Candidate in the Imperial Examination. The mansion’s stewards, mammy, pages, and old women all gathered at the gate to welcome them.

Dou Zhao smiled and nodded at the senior stewards and steward mammies before taking a sedan chair back to the Hall of Cultivating Will.

After nearly a month away, the air inside felt chilly and unwelcoming.

Gan Lu and the others swiftly and methodically unpacked Dou Zhao and Yuan Ge'er’s belongings.

Jiang Yan arrived with her personal maid, Yinghong.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Dou Zhao. "Sister-in-law, you’re finally back!"

Dou Zhao had originally wanted to bring Jiang Yan back to Jing'an Temple Alley, but Jiang Yan had refused, so Dou Zhao left Jin Gui behind in the mansion instead.

Noticing Jiang Yan’s rosy complexion, Dou Zhao nodded inwardly in approval and asked Ruo Tong to open a chest, retrieving bolts of cloth she had bought for Jiang Yan. "These are the latest fashions from the south. Though they can’t compare to the ones bestowed by the palace, their patterns are fresh and lively. Use them to make a few autumn clothes. We’ll go hiking together during the Double Ninth Festival."

The fabrics were in shades like pea green and madder red, adorned with cherries or small flowers—more vibrant and refreshing than the usual brocades.

Jiang Yan knew Dou Zhao had picked these out with care and was at a loss for words. After a long pause, she blurted out, "Sister-in-law, let me help take care of my nephew!"

Dou Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, finding Jiang Yan even more endearing. She asked Gan Lu to take Jiang Yan to the small side room where Yuan Ge'er was napping.Su Xin and Su Lan led the women from the East Wing Courtyard to pay their respects to Dou Zhao.

Dou Zhao chatted with them for a while.

By the time the room quieted down, it was already time for lunch.

Yet, there was no movement from the Cassia Fragrance Courtyard.

Ruo Zhu, who had stayed in the residence, whispered, "Only a dozen or so guests have arrived for the ceremony—fewer than yesterday. The Duke is in a rage!"

Dou Zhao asked, "And the women?"

"Just some wives of Successful Candidates in the Imperial Examination and a few Record Keepers' ladies from the Five Armies Commandery."

After a moment’s thought, Dou Zhao said, "Then we’ll have lunch at the Hall of Cultivating Will!"